His roommate in a condo he shared in Richmond, Calif., was selling the condo and moving because he had recently lost his job.

So with an unemployed roommate and no place to live, Rubinstein quickly came across a friend who had converted his garage in nearby Pinole into a room that Rubinstein could rent.

Housing crisis solved, Rubinstein is back to searching for a job as an account manager in the insurance industry. For six years he worked for the same company, helping businesses find insurance. He was laid off in October 2007 and while still collecting unemployment benefits, he's had various part-time jobs to help extend the benefits.

Without a mortgage and family, cutting expenses is a little easier for the single man. Along with cutting his housing expenses, Rubinstein is saving money by not taking his girlfriend out to eat as often, and not playing as much poker as he used to at a nearby casino.